


The Silver Butterfly

by Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter, Kasena



Series: The Dark Apprentice [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Slytherin Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-10-27 16:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10812564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter/pseuds/Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasena/pseuds/Kasena
Summary: Harry James Potter has grown up bitter and jaded after his poor treatment by the Dursleys. He hopes for some way out, a way to escape to somewhere he'd be more accepted, and treated decently. When a letter comes in from a mysterious sender, he finds the escape that he's been hoping for. But things may not go how you may be expecting.





	1. Awake in a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of December 2017, I have now begun adding songs to each chapter! I believe they help to set the scene of each chapter rather well, and they will possibly help to give you insight as to my personal style, and the kind of place I'm in with each chapter. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLAb3U8JjN0

Petunia Dursley simply could not believe it. Her sister was dead. Of course, past childhood, she and her sister had never gotten on, due to the fact of her sister being a freak of a witch, but... A part of Petunia, the less mature part, did still care for her. Within the past couple months, she'd surprisingly received a letter from her sister. And a worrying one, at that.

' _Dearest Petunia,_

_I know I'm the last person you want to hear from. It's important. We're in some danger, and I just wanted to tell you. If anything happens to James and I, and his school mates. I want you to take care of Harry. He'll be safe, growing up away from this._

_I love you._

_Lily_ '

Petunia sat on the bed of the master bedroom and sighed. Now, they'd been landed with Lily's boy. Lily and her husband... Petunia shifted the letters a bit, looking down at the parchment and the purple ink of the letter she'd received today. A letter to the both of them, caught in little Harry's hand, and written by one 'Albus Dumbledore.'

' _Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,_

_May I thank you in advance for taking in little Harry James Potter. I'm certain that when he grows to be a little older, he will appreciate it greatly._

_Allow me to introduce myself. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, leader of the Order of the Phoenix, Grand Sorcerer, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And you are Petunia Evans Dursley, wife of Vernon Dursley, stay-at-home mother of Dudley Dursley, and member of your neighborhood book club, as I understand it. Now that we've introductions and titles out of the way, I'm afraid we must get to business._

_I've been told that you, in recent years, have not been in contact with your sister. A true shame, as sisters are something wonderful to cherish in this world. Alas, do not allow me to tell you what way to live your life. Though I'm afraid I must insist upon one thing. A horrible fate has befallen Lily Evans Potter, and she is no longer with us. I leave with this letter her son, the sole survivor of an attack against the Potters by a man we thought near undefeatable. This man seems to be no more, but one can never be sure, and we are always wary of those that follow him. I give her son to you for this reason._

_While Harry is able to call wherever you live 'home,' he will be protected. Lily gave him a protection before she died, and as you are her sister and his aunt, this protection lives on in the two of you. This protection will break upon his seventeenth birthday. This boy will be known widely in our world as the Chosen One. The Savior of the Wizarding World. I ask that you protect him, and keep him far from this world until the time comes. That much weight and prestige will go to a boy's head, and I'm afraid Harry will not be exempt._

_I'm certain your son will get along wonderfully with his cousin. Please do keep my words in mind._

_Sincerely, and with my condolences,_

_Albus Dumbledore_ '

"Petunia," Vernon said as he entered the room. "What are we going to do about the boy?" Petunia looked up at her husband and sighed.

"Vernon, we have to keep him." She handed the letter over to him and stood. She watched as Vernon frowned and took the letter. As he read through, his face paled before it began to turn red.

"He's one of their-"

Petunia shook her head. "I know- But we can stamp it out. They've both died, Vernon. He wants us to raise the boy away from it all. We can teach him to be like us. He'll be _normal._ "

Vernon stared at her before he looked back down at the letter and mulled it over. "Hm, yes... I suppose we could. He can wear Dudley's old clothes. I don't want to be emptying out the bank for this, Petunia. But I always did want two boys..."

"And he's already a year old. We don't have to worry about him trying to sit up on his own, or trying to give him bottles." Petunia nodded. "Where will he sleep, though? We haven't any room."

Glancing to the hall, Vernon slowly nodded. "We could give him your sewing room-" He cut himself off as Petunia gave him a dirty look that very clearly said she didn't want to give up her sewing room for a while, yet. "Or perhaps put a crib in the cupboard under the stairs," he said in a voice suspiciously similar to a whimper.

Petunia paused before nodding. "Right. That could work. And once he grows, then perhaps he and Dudley can share."

"He'll be normal?"

"He'll be just like us."


	2. Wanderer's Lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VlAyEUXYM

Harry James Potter. Or at least, that was what his Auntie Petunia said his name was. He didn't quite know how to write it out, yet, but he was learning how to do that part! He'd been learning how to count and he was fairly sure today was his birthday! That meant that if he was good, he would get a slice of cake all to himself!

Without even thinking of changing out of his pyjamas, Harry leapt out of bed and hurried to the kitchen. "Hi Auntie Petunia," he said breathlessly.

Petunia looked down at him strangely. "Hello Harry. And you really must stop with 'Auntie' Petunia. You're getting to be too old for that. It's Aunt petunia."

"Okay," he quickly agreed. "Can I help you with anything?"

Setting down her pan, Petunia seemed to inspect him before slowly nodding. "You can once you get yourself dressed." He turned away and heard her muttering quietly to herself.

Strange, she normally greeted him with a happy birthday when it was his birthday. Oh well. He needed to go get dressed and be on his best behavior!

::

Harry was playing in the dirt in the backyard with a small smile. He liked to make little shapes. There was a triangle, a square, and even a heart! That one was his favorite. He had just picked up another pile of dirt when he saw something that looked like a green worm. "Oh, hello," he said with a small smile.

The snake - he thought it was a snake, at least - looked seemed to pause before looking up at him. " _Hello, little human._ " Harry gasped as his jaw dropped.

"Oh, wow! A snake that can talk! I didn't know that snakes could talk!" The snake was now turning towards him completely.

" _We have always been able to talk. It is the humans I had thought that didn't know how to listen._ " Beaming at the little reptile, Harry immediately sat back down.

"Oh, no. I'm a real good listener, but you're the first snake I've ever talked to. So all snakes can talk? I thought snakes were a lot bigger. You're the first snake I've ever met."

" _It is my honor, then. And yes, all of us can speak._ "

"Wow," the five-year-old said. There wasn't much else he could think to say. "So- So what kind of a snake are you?"

" _What sort of a question is that? I'm me. What sort of a human are you?_ "

Harry frowned at that and thought. "Huh. I- I'm a little boy kind of human." Feeling like he hurt the snake's feelings, he put his hand down on the ground. "Sorry."

" _It is no fault of your own, though perhaps you should think before you speak,_ " the snake hissed at him as it looked at his hand before slithering into it.

Wrinkling his nose at the feeling, Harry giggled. "That feels weird."

" _I suppose it would, if I'm the first snake you've met._ "

"Oh yeah!" Harry leapt to his feet, though kept his hand as steady as he could. "I've got to show you to my Aunt Petunia! I don't think she's ever seen a talking snake either!" Harry ran inside. "Aunt Petunia, look at this!" He held up the snake as she turned around.

"You are _filthy!_ You're going to need to take a bath-"

He interrupted her, thrusting his hands up closer to her face. "But look! You never told me that snakes could talk!"

"Don't be ridiculous, snakes can't talk, now put that dirty thing back outside and go get cleaned up this instant!"

Harry frowned. "But he did talk! He really did!"

" _Most often do not understand us, I'm afraid._ "

"See! He talked just now!" Petunia turned away from her dishes and fixed him with a sharp look.

"Snakes cannot speak. Put it back outside and go clean yourself up." Harry pouted as he trudged back outside and set the little snake down.

"I know you can talk."

" _My apologies for getting you into trouble._ "

"It's okay. I need to really go take a bath, though." Harry stood and waved at the snake. He liked to think to himself that the way the snake's tail flicked, he was waving back at him.

::

_Tuesday 23 September 1986. Harry James Potter._

Harry set his pencil down proudly as he pushed his notebook aside. He was quite proud of himself. He had been working especially hard to try to get good at writing. Now he could write his full name all by himself! He liked seeing his name written out. It was a very nice name. Not like Dudley Vernon Dursley, no sir. He liked to think he had a nice proper name! And when his friends came over to sit with him, Harry was going to show them!

Harry watched the clock until one of his friends walked into the room and put her things away in her cubby. "Hi Josephine," Harry said excitedly.

"Oh..." the girl with pigtails said quietly. She sounded sad. "Hi Harry." She looked at him a few times before looking away and grabbing her notebook.

"Look, I left lots of room for you, and -"

"Actually, I was going to go sit with Lou Anne today. She invited me to her birthday party." Josephine looked at Harry but it wasn't a happy look.

"Oh. Okay, that's fine! Bring me a slice of cake," he said cheerfully. He set his things in order carefully, his pencil and notebook side by side and neat and tidy. It was a few minutes later that he brightened and waved towards the door. "Hi, Ally!"

Ally, the sweet shy blond girl he'd recently made friends with, didn't seem to hear him. Harry tried to speak up a little louder to get her attention. "Hey, Ally!" Though she stopped moving for a moment, the girl continued to ignore him before going to sit with the other girls. Harry frowned and was about to stand up as Dudley came over and knocked his notebook and pencil to the ground. "Hey!"

The teacher turned around and frowned. "Now, Harry, it's not nice to shout."

Harry's mouth fell open. "But he -"

"No excuses. Quiet, please, we need to call attendance. Malcolm?"

"Here," said a boy that regularly sat with Dudley. Dudley gave Harry a mean smile and walked back over to his seat. Harry looked at his table where he sat by himself before stooping to pick up his things. He didn't understand why Dudley was so mean to him. He He remembered hearing that cousins were supposed to be nice, but Dudley wasn't nice at all.

Later, at free time, Harry walked right up to his friends and crossed his arms. "How come I had to sit all by myself?"

Josephine's face turned red and she looked down at the ground. "Dudley told us -"

"Dudley told us you have cooties," Ally said quickly with a huff. "Since you have cooties, we can't talk to you. It's the rules."

"Where? What rules," he demanded, stamping his foot.

"Keep your cooties away!"

"Harry has cooties!"

Harry watched as everyone on the playground ran away from him and he was left standing there wondering how this could have happened.

::

An eight-year-old Harry looked up at the poster that hung in Frowny Town. _Respect. Treat others nicely, be polite, treat others' property as well as you treat your own, respect your teacher._ It sounded like Dudley had a lot to learn about respect, then. Harry tried to blink and winced, near crying. His eye still hurt from where Dudley had punched him for no real good reason. He touched his cheek lightly and curled further in on himself. His teacher had made _him_ go to Frowny Town instead of his cousin, and now they were checking over Dudley and making sure he was okay.

Wrapping his arms around himself, Harry stared down at the purple carpet as the world around him got more blurry. He didn't even know why Dudley hated him so much. It wasn't fair. Harry shuddered and shook, putting a hand over his mouth. He wasn't going to cry. He didn't want to cry. But it just wasn't fair! Dudley was so mean to him, and Harry tried to be so nice! Harry felt first one tear roll down his cheek, then another, and it quickly became a cascade as he cried, hiccuping and gasping into his hand to keep himself quiet.

It felt like the ground itself was shaking, and he thought he heard something break, but over the sound of his blood in his ears and everything else he was trying to muffle, he barely noticed. And crying only seemed to irritate his eye more, which was only more painful and made him cry more.

Only when someone quickly jerked Harry up did Harry gasp and get a glimpse of the classroom as they hurried out. The windows were shattered, there was cracks in the ceiling and the floor, and tables and chairs seemed to have been thrown all over the room, like by a freak windstorm. "Come on, we're going to make sure that your Aunt and Uncle come to pick up you and Dudley," the assistant teacher said to him.

"What happened to the room-"

"An earthquake," she quickly answered. "And don't ask questions right now, we're very busy making sure everyone got out." Harry was set down on the grass outside the building next to Dudley.

Harry looked over and Dudley and frowned again, though this time he didn't frown with sadness. It felt like he had a tiny fire burning deep inside of him as he crossed his arms and stared at Dudley. "I don't like you," he proclaimed.

Dudley seemed confused for a moment, before his face twisted into an ugly sort of frown. "Well I never liked you anyway. You're stupid."

"I hate you."

It was only a few minutes before Petunia was at the school. "Come on then, the both of you. Let's get you home." Though she quickly turned her back, Harry shook his head vigorously as he followed. He had heard the way that most of his classmates talked about home. They talked about warm hugs, and getting cookies, and being happy. That place wasn't home. He wasn't sure if it ever was.

::

"...My dad was an only child," Harry said out loud in the living room.

"Don't ask questions," Petunia snapped at him instantly, narrowing her eyes over at him.

Harry looked up from his book at her. "I wasn't asking a question, I was saying a sentence. My dad was an only child."

Petunia continued to give him that pursed look, but she answered as though it _was_ a question. Which he supposed he should have been thankful for. "Yes, he was. Why do you care so much?"

"Well, because if he had a brother or a sister, they would be my aunt or uncle. But I'm here. So he doesn't."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Harry stared at her before shrugging and looking down at his book. "You always say that you got saddled with me. No one else must have wanted me."

It was a long time of silence. So long, in fact, that Harry thought Aunt Petunia might have forgotten about him, again, perhaps. Or just didn't have a response. But finally, he heard he say in a tone that was almost happy, "No. They didn't."

::

Harry couldn't believe his luck! They had not only taken him to the zoo with them because of Ms. Figg's broken leg, but they had just wandered off while in the reptile exhibit! Like Dudley, Harry had quickly looked for and gone towards the largest snake in the building, and now that his cousin had wandered off, he looked around to make sure no one was watching before he leaned close to the glass. "Hello," he said softly, afraid to be heard. "Can you hear me?"

The snake - a Boa Constrictor, he'd read - looked immediately interested as it rose to be at his eye level. It gave a nod and Harry couldn't help but to beam. "Can you understand me?"

Staring at each other for another few moments, the snake slithering a little closer. " _Yesss,_ " he heard it hiss.

"I knew it," Harry whispered. "I knew snakes could really speak to me."

" _You're the only human I know of that understands._ " That had the boy pause, tilting his head to the side and frowning.

"Really? Not even any of the other people you've seen, or your caretakers?"

" _No. My caretakers underssstand my needs, but not my words._ " Harry nodded and leaned further over the wooden bar.

"Sorry- It's kinda hard to hear you through the glass, I guess. But that makes sense. Doesn't explain why I can understand snakes."

" _A myssstery perhaps never fully explained._ " Harry perked up a little bit.

"Oh, there we are! You're louder, now!" Harry was about to ask the snake a question about its life here at the zoo before he heard a loud gasp.

"Mum, Dad, look at the snake!" Right after the shout, Harry heard Dudley thunder over to him and he didn't have enough time to scamper away before his bigger-than-him cousin shoved him roughly to the ground and near threw himself at the glass-

Except there wasn't any glass to catch him. Dudley fell right through the snake hissed indignantly as he nearly landed on top of it. " _I have been hungry lately… He would feed me well._ "

"Don't eat him," Harry quickly said, catching the snake's attention. "Please, you can't." The snake stared into his eyes for a long time without blinking - probably because it didn't have eyelids - before nodding.

" _Very well. Though I do like the sound of a bit of exercise._ " And just like that, the Boa Constrictor was slithering out of its habitat and exploring the reptile house, not seeming to much mind the alarm of the zoo patrons.

"Harry controlled the snake! Harry controlled the snake!"

Oh no…


	3. What About Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdvJ_tSlhbA

It was during his longest punishment he'd ever received that Harry realized something. He hated them. He hated his Aunt and Uncle and Dudley. He hated Piers Polkiss, and Malcolm, and all of Dudley's other friends. He didn't hate his teachers who blamed him when fights started, but he certainly disliked them. Actually, hate felt too nice a word for his 'family.'

He _loathed_ them. He wished he had never ended up here. He wished his dad really _had_ had siblings so that he could be raised with them, instead of his mother's family. But most of all, he wished for a way out.

Harry James Potter. He knew ever since he was little that he didn't belong here with these people. The only question he was asking himself now was where he _did_ belong. Both his parents were dead, and these _people_ were the only living relatives he had, as far as he knew. If only he could run away. But he wasn't that stupid. He hadn't any money, and he didn't want to end up in care, somewhere. Unfortunately, this was the best he had.

Sometimes it made him wish he and his parents were in the same place. Dudley had made it abundantly clear, over the years, that he wished the same thing. That he wished he didn't have to deal with Harry one bit, that he was raised as an only child. Well, even with Harry there, he practically had been raised as an only child. Harry curled up on his bed, his knees tucked against his chest. In the darkness, with no one to hear but himself, Harry licked his lips and whispered softly, "I wish that I could leave. I wish I could leave and never come back." He waited a moment and then ducked his head when it was clear no one would be coming to save him. He was all alone.

::

When they finally released Harry, he was immediately made to get the mail as Dudley whined about how he didn't want to. Harry huffed and grumbled, walking out of the main room and to the front door, stooping and picking up the letters. Bill, bill, letter from Aunt Marge-

A letter. There was a letter addressed to him. Harry had to check it once, twice, three times to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. Harry James Potter, The Cupboard Under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. There was no way that that could be anything but a letter addressed to him. Harry checked over his shoulder as he turned the letter over. On the back was a wax seal keeping the envelope closed, with a crest on it. It looked like maybe animals, and a name he couldn't make out.

Harry turned around towards the main room and walked forward before he paused. This could be it. This could be the chance he was hoping for. This could be his escape. Harry narrowed his eyes and shoved the letter through the slats of his cupboard door. He was not going to let them take this away from him.

Walking back to the main room, Harry handed his Uncle Vernon the letters and waited patiently before glancing between him and Aunt Petunia. "Actually," he said suddenly. "I'm not very hungry. Can I be excused to go back to my cupboard?"

The two seemed to silently communicate before Petunia gave him a nod. "Go on, then."

As Harry rose and left, he heard Vernon's quiet mutter, "About time that the little urchin starts to get some manners." Harry glared down at the floor as he made his way to his cupboard and shut the door tightly, turning on his light.

After a moment of making sure they weren't about to check in on him, Harry picked up the letter and looked it over again. It was still addressed to him, and still sealed. Taking a deep breath, the boy picked up the letter and broke the seal, opening it. He read over the letter quietly until it slipped from his fingers. That… _What?_

Harry had to read it over again. He had to be hallucinating. He had to be delirious. But no, as he checked it over again, it was still there, plain as day. He had been mailed by a school of _witchcraft._ He knew what his Aunt and Uncle would have to say if they found out. They would call him a freak, they would scream and shout at the idea of him being a… A wizard? Taking a moment to think about it, Harry shook his head.

No, that didn't make sense. He was lots of things, but he couldn't be a wizard. He just couldn't. He was just Harry. He was regularly beaten by his older cousin, he was frequently bullied by his Aunt and Uncle. If he was a wizard, why hadn't he ever turned them into a frog, or something? Standing up on his knees, Harry grabbed one of his pencils and a piece of paper he kept on the shelf. As he snatched it away, his hand knocked into something and sent it falling to his bed.

Harry picked up a silver figure of a butterfly and frowned. He'd forgotten he'd found that on the way home and taken it. Setting it back carefully on the shelf, Harry stared before shaking his head and looking back down at his paper. Right. He just had to write them a letter and tell them a mistake had been made.

_Deer Ms McGongal Maam_

_I think a mistack has been made. Their is no way I can be a wizerd. I'm just not majick. Maybe this letter is for sum one else._

_Harry James Potter_

Looking over his letter, Harry finally nodded before he poked his head out of his cupboard. If he was fast enough, he would be able to go grab a blank envelope from Vernon's office. Looking around, Harry hurried up the steps, trying to keep his steps as quiet as possible. He quickly grabbed an envelope and folded his paper up in it, grabbing a stamp while he could. Rushing back downstairs, he wrote out 'Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, United Kingdom,' on the front of the envelope and sealed it.

Once the letter was safely in his pocket, Harry walked back to the kitchen. "I'm going to the library." He took the lack of response as an answer that yes, he could go, and no, they weren't going to stop him. Pleased with himself, Harry walked out the front door and made his way to the library, putting his letter in the post box on his way.

When Harry entered the library, he went immediately to the front desk and smiled. "Hello, Ms. Arman."

Ms. Arman looked up from her work and smiled at him. "Hello, Harry. Is there anything I can help you find, today?"

Harry thought about it for a moment before nodding and smiling. "I think so, yes. Can you help me find some of the books on magic?"

Her smile only growing, Ms. Arman nodded and stood. "Of course. Come on, Harry. I think I know a book that you would adore." Harry followed along after her as she led him to the children's section. Huh. Had there really been books on magic that he hadn't realized were there? When Ms. Arman stopped, Harry frowned at realizing they were in the fiction section. She handed him a book with a dresser and a lion on the front. "That book is all about magic, and I think you'll just adore it."

Harry took the book before frowning at her. "No, I mean the books about _real_ magic! About… witchcraft, and wizardry," he huffed, crossing his arms.

Ms. Arman looked down at him, pursing her lips before sighing and shaking her head. "I don't see why a nice young man like yourself would be wanting to look into something like that, but alright. Follow me, then. If I properly recall, they should be in the 130s."

As she led him, Harry beamed. Maybe he wasn't magic, but he could still find out about it. That would be fun! Then he could at least pretend he was a part of a magical world, instead of the awful normal world he was forced to be a part of. She led Harry to a large shelf full of books and stopped, pointing. "We don't have many on the subject, but what we do have will be here on the shelf."

Harry beamed at Ms. Arman. "Thank you!" Once she left, Harry looked through the books. He needed to find something- Something _real._ He needed to know, more than anything, if he was real. If maybe, if he tried enough, he could actually be magic. Harry looked over the books, grabbing a couple out before hearing a loud crash behind him. He yelped and crouched down with his arms over his head.

When it became clear none of his relatives or any of Dudley's gang was going to pop out at him, Harry slowly stood and looked around for the source of the noise. Behind him was a rather large book on the ground. Where had that come from? Looking around, Harry didn't see anyone nearby. With a groan, he picked up the book and heaved it towards the front desk. "Ms. Arman," he said, straining with the heavy tome. "I found this book."

Finally getting it onto the table, he watched her look over the book before a strange look seemed to cross over her face as she read the title aloud. " _Hogwarts, A History._ " Harry felt his heart skip a beat. Hogwarts. He'd found a book about Hogwarts. Or, more like the book had seemed to find him. Ms. Arman peered at him over the top of her glasses. "Young man, where did you find this book?"

Harry flinched back, looking down at the ground. "I- I don't really know where it came from, I just turned around and it was on the ground. You can take it, I wasn't really looking at it."

He waited as Ms. Arman continued to look him over. "Well, I suppose if you'd really like, you can take this book home with you," she said with a bright smile. "It doesn't have any markings indicating it's one of ours, and I can't stand in the way of an eager learner."

"Really?" Harry stared at the book in shock. A book about Hogwarts. And she was letting him _keep_ it. He held took the book back and held it close, even as the weight threatened to topple him. "You're sure? I can keep it?"

"Yes, you can," she said. "Now go on home, Harry. I need to go write a letter." Harry nodded quickly and ran off as fast as he could with the book in his arms.

He huffed and puffed until he got to his street. It was only when he was standing in front of Number Four that he realized that he couldn't let his relatives know that he'd just been given a book about a magical world. It would be taken away and probably thrown in the fireplace. Putting it against his chest, Harry shifted his arms until he assumed he was hiding the title on the spine with his arm. Walking to the front door, he balanced on one foot and used the other to keep the door a few times in lieu of knocking. A few moments later, the door was opened by Aunt Petunia. Her face was rather pinched and she stared down at him. "What is that?"

Harry looked down before looking back up at her. "It's a history book, from the library. Ms. Arman said I could have it."

"And you're trying to take that dirty thing into my house," she asked, her arms crossing as she pinned him with a look Harry might classify as a glare.

"It's not dirty," Harry said defensively, thumbing the spine carefully and holding the book close. "It's just worn, a little bit. And I'm just taking it to my cupboard to read, anyway."

Petunia watched him before finally huffing and standing aside, waving him in. "Fine. But it goes straight to your cupboard and it doesn't come out. Are we clear?"

The boy nodded quickly and hurried inside. "Yes, ma'am." Walking over to his cupboard door, he balanced the book as best he could while also trying to open the door. He nearly dropped it more than once, but he finally managed to throw it in so it landed on his cot with a soft thud. Closing the door, Harry sighed. Maybe he would finally get some answers.


	4. A Nostalgic Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLWqxqMYlXE

Harry couldn't believe it. Magic was real. And he had proof, right here, sitting in front of him. As he'd read the book, he realized that the pictures were  _moving._  He would watch a person blink and smile at him before leaving the picture entirely. It described four founders of the school, Hogwarts, it described how the school was built, it talked about it all, and Harry needed to read more.

Too soon, he heard people walking down the stairs and Harry stared at his book before sighing and hiding it under his blanket before he left. Walking into the kitchen, he had barely sat down before Vernon looked up at him and frowned. "Get the mail. And cut your hair, while you're at it!" Harry huffed and stood again, narrowly avoiding Dudley as he once again walked to the living room and stooped to pick up the mail. Already, he'd received a response. This time, Harry turned and stuffed the letter into his cupboard immediately before returning to the kitchen and setting the mail in front of Vernon.

Harry sat back down at the table and calmly and quietly ate his breakfast, waiting for everyone to finish before looking to Petunia. "Once I wash the dishes, may I be excused?" Petunia gave him a strange look, though she nodded, and Harry obediently picked up the dishes that had been used during breakfast and tucked the leftover food away, grabbing out his usual step stool to reach the sink as he washed the dishes.

Once he finished, Harry even went so far as to dry them and set them aside before he stepped down and put his step stool back in the cupboard under the sink. He walked back to his own cupboard and opened the door, trying to look as though it were any other normal day as he closed the door behind him and turned the light on.

Looking down at the letter, the little brunet tilted his head at seeing it was written in the same shimmering green ink as before. He decided he rather liked the color. Opening it up, Harry took out the letter and tilted his head.

Harry Potter,

I believe that to be quite impossible. Only students that have already displayed magical ability are accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While you may not have known it was magic, you have obviously performed some level of magic, therefore we expect your attendance come the new school year.

Sincerely,

Minerva Simply "Professor" Will Do McGonagall

Harry frowned at that. That wasn't quite what he'd been expecting. Though it was nice to know he was magic, he wasn't sure it was entirely nice. After all, that meant that the Dursleys were right, and that he was a freak. Normal people didn't have magic. The Dursleys were the most boringly normal people he had ever met, and they hated if he ever said the word magic, let alone anything that might at all be considered magical. Grabbing another sheet of paper - he was beginning to run low - Harry quickly wrote out a response.

Profeser,

Even if I am majick, I dont think i can go. My realutivs wont let me I think. I havent askd them, butt they dont like to spend a lot of muney. A boarding school sounds like lots of muney. And they dont now about it anyway so they probably wont let me go.

Harry Potter

Looking over his letter, Harry nodded before once again sneaking upstairs and taking what he'd need before he walked to the library again, slipping the letter in the post box on his way. When he got to the library, Harry went for the front desk and stood on his toes with a bright smile. Ms. Arman looked over and took a moment to notice him before she smiled, as well. "Hello, Harry."

"Hello, Ms. Arman." Harry stepped back and clasped his hands in front of himself. "I wanted to thank you for letting me have that book, yesterday."

She seemed startled by this, but she smiled either way and gave him a nod. "I'm glad that you're happy with it, Harry. Was it what you were hoping it may be?" Harry almost frowned at seeing her eyes twinkle with...something. He wasn't sure what.

Keepin up the act of innocence, he nodded. "It was even better than that."

Ms. Arman smiled at him. "Good. Though I'm surprised you didn't bring it with you, today. Already finish it?"

Harry wrinkled his nose. "No offense, Ms. Arman, but that book was really heavy. I just kept it safe at home."

The woman laughed quietly and nodded. "Very well. What section should I expect to find you in, today, then?" Harry thought it over for a moment before nodding.

"The children's section." He wanted a little bit of fiction to escape this life, right now. It was all a bit ridiculous. Harry left for the children's section and looked through the books before finally finding one and smiling. Now this one looked interesting…

By the time Petunia had found him, Harry had gotten through five books. Harry didn't even realize the woman was there until she cleared her throat. "What's all this, then?"

Harry's eyes widened and he immediately scrunched down. "Um… Reading. I come to the library a lot."

Petunia frowned and looked at the stack of books beside him. "You can't possibly be reading all of these, right now."

"I'm not," Harry said with a quick shake of his head, looking to the books, as well. "I already read them."

"Today?" She didn't seem to quite believe him, but at least this time she wasn't screaming out that he was a liar. "No matter. Come on. You're helping cook dinner, tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a sigh, waving to Ms. Arman as they passed. "Bye, Ms. Arman! Have a great night!" Petunia tugged him away too quickly for him to hear a response.

"You should have told someone you were leaving the house," Petunia huffed, walking Harry to the car and ushering him into the back seat.

Harry stared out the window and shrugged. "I didn't think anyone would care as long as I was home by dinner."

"We certainly do. Someone needs to do the chores around the house," Petunia snapped at him. Without another word, Harry turned away from her and stared at the passing scenery. He certainly couldn't go to a school of magic. He wasn't Cinderella, he didn't have a fairy godmother waiting to rescue him. He was...just Harry.

::

Dear Mr. Potter, 

We at Hogwarts have received your letter of concern, and taking this into consideration we have decided to send along a Professor to help explain things to your family. He will arrive on the 31st of July to give you some time to prepare. Thank you for keeping in close contact about your special circumstance. 

Sincerely,

Professor McGonagall

That was the letter Harry had awoken to retrieve that morning and he could only stare for a few moments. Someone magic was going to be coming to Privet Drive. Someone was going to make sure he went to Hogwarts.

Someone was going to be coming to Privet Drive. To meet the Dursleys. In a moment of realization, all of Harry's hopes fell. Someone magic was going to come meet the Dursleys. With a quiet sigh, he looked down at the letter in his hand. He had to tell them. Opening up his cupboard door, Harry walked to the kitchen, letter in hand. Aunt Petunia was at the sink scrubbing. Instead of saying anything, Harry simply set the letter down on the counter, holding his arm and backing away.

Petunia saw it nearly immediately and shut off the water. Dipping the plate back down into the water, the woman wiped off her hands and picked up the letter. Never had Harry seen the color drain from someone's face so quickly. "You've been writing letters?"

Harry flinched, though he nodded. "Someone sent me a letter a couple days ago, with my name and my cupboard on it, and so… I told them it was a mistake, that the letter was meant for someone else."

"Go get them," she said. "Go get any and all letters you've received from anyone." With a nod, Harry left for his cupboard and retrieved the letters that Professor McGonagall had sent to him. With a pause, he hid the supply list and ticket for his train before bringing Petunia the letters. Petunia read over the letters before she turned white and then red. "How dare you steal letters- After we open our home to you!"

Harry stared down at the floor before he finally frowned and crossed his arms. "You didn't open your home to me."

His aunt seemed to freeze before slowly turning her head to look down at him. "What," she hissed.

Harry summoned up any courage he may have had and looked up at her. "You didn't open your home. You said it yourself. You were saddled with me."

Petunia leaned down. "That is because no one else wanted to take care of you. No one was able to put up with having to deal with  _you_ , and we did so out of the kindness of our hearts."

"Then why weren't you ever kind to me?"

"Because you don't deserve it, you little rat. Sneaking about and stealing from us. Go on to your cupboard, then. I have to figure out a way to fix this mess you've created." Harry stared at her for a moment before he stamped his foot.

"No. Why can't I have a bedroom? We have the room. The only things in there is all Dudley's stuff that he doesn't even use," Harry insisted.

" _Dudley_  deserves everything that he gets." Petunia's face grew cold and a smile curled on her lips. "You never did hear much about your father, did you?"

Harry's head was dizzy with how quickly the conversation had spun off topic. "I… No, I suppose not?"

Petunia leaned close to him. "Your father was a lazy, deadbeat layabout who always got everything he asked for. He didn't deserve a single bit of it. And you're just like him." Harry didn't want to hear anymore. He shook his head, but Petunia only continued on. "Your mother was a freak. Bringing home frogspawn in her pockets every year, turning tables into rats. And she was a fool, falling for that Potter boy. He tried to be charming, but I saw right through the both of them. Freaks. They weren't normal, and you're just like them."

Tears stinging at his eyes unwillingly, Harry turned from her and ran to his cupboard, opening the door quickly and slamming it shut behind him. He hugged his  _Hogwarts, A History_  book tightly to his chest and curled around it. She was wrong. She had to be. Hogwarts wanted him. Hogwarts was real. Hogwarts didn't think he was a freak. She had to be wrong. Harry lay on his side on his cot sobbing and wishing he could have another life. Any life but this.

He wanted someone to save him.


	5. Lost Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this chapter is rather short, but the next chapter is long to make up for it! By the way, ever since the second chapter, I've been writing this fic solo, I just occasionally get inspired by Nomi! Thanks for reading! ~Kas
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58TBZnvyGwQ

Even though he tried to forget it, Harry simply couldn't. Someone was going to be coming to Privet Drive on his birthday, and Aunt Petunia would probably tell them they had the wrong house, and his one and only chance of escaping was going to walk right out.

Watching out the main room window, Harry slumped a bit. It had been raining ever since the fight with Petunia. Really, though, that was normal. They had rain and clouds every day, it seemed, but it was at least a little odd in the middle of summer. No one even seemed to remember what day it was, but Harry knew. It was his birthday. His eleventh birthday. And he seemed to be the only one that even cared.

When he heard a knock at the door, Harry leapt to his feet and stared at it with wide eyes before he called out, "I'll get it!"

Before anyone could think to argue, the boy was already walking forward and opening the door. He stared up at the man that stood there. The man was rather tall, and he had long black hair that hung down to his chin. His eyes were narrowed and sharp, similarly to Petunia's. However, his nose seemed to come out at Harry like a hook. And his  _clothes_. Long black robes hung around him and to the ground! Harry had never seen anyone quite like this man, before. "...Hello," he finally said.

The man looked down at him, and Harry thought he saw the man's eyes sparkle. The man nodded to him, "Hello. My name is Severus. Do you, by chance, have an Aunt Petunia?" Harry's eyes widened and he nodded. How had this man known that?

Harry stepped back and turned his head away minutely. "Aunt Petunia," he called. "There's a man named Severus here at the door, for you." Hearing the shattering of glass hitting the ground, Harry startled back and edged away from the door.

He watched Petunia walk out with one of her fake smiles. "Severus."

"Petunia," Severus said, an eyebrow raised as he glanced to Harry. "It's been too long."

"Certainly. Would you like to come in for some tea?" Petunia stepped back and held her hand at her side.

Severus seemed to think it over, looking at her before nodding. "That sounds adequate."

Harry stared as Severus entered the house, following Petunia. Was this the man that Hogwarts had sent, for him? If so, how did Petunia know him? If he was, this man would be magic! Petunia couldn't know anyone magic! As the three entered the kitchen, Harry saw Vernon frown. "Who's this, then?"

Petunia answered before Severus could. "One of Lily's childhood friends." They were all treated to Vernon's face turning a multitude of shades, with many different expressions. First, he paled with dread and looked like a ghost had entered the room. Then, he looked wary and was back to his normal color, then he turned red as he looked this man over, then almost purple when he looked over at Harry before he finally smiled.

"Oh! One of your sister's friends! Of course, where are my manners? Vernon Dursley." Even Dudley looked to be worried over the state of his father. That certainly couldn't mean anything good.

Severus looked Vernon over, and seemed to see right through his little act. "Severus Snape. Right down to business, then. I am here to discuss Harry's attendance at Hogwarts and any questions or concerns you or he may have."

Vernon's eyes widened before his smile was back and he was shaking his head. "No, no, I believe there's been a miscommunication. He won't be attending. He's going to Stonewall High."

Severus rose a disbelieving eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Petunia said sharply. "It is. He's not going."

"I mean this in the kindest way possible," the man said with almost a sigh. "Petunia, kindly shut up about matters you have never once understood." Petunia seemed to be trying to argue, but couldn't think of anything. "Now," he said, turning to Harry. "Harry. Do you want to go to Hogwarts?"

Harry's eyes widened at the fact he was being addressed, and he looked around the room before slowly nodding. "Yes, sir."

Severus gave a nod, as well. "Very well. Then that's all there is to that. Now, about the costs-"

This seemed to be Vernon's breaking point, as he leapt up, his face red as a beet. "I will not pay to have some crackpot teach him  _magic!_ "

The room was silent for five long seconds before Severus' eyes narrowed dangerously. "Perhaps we should have the boys leave the room."

"Dudley," Petunia said, nodding her head towards the door. Harry turned and walked out as Dudley stood and grumbled, following after him.

The moment the door closed, Dudley glared over at him. "I wasn't even finished eating."

Harry looked him over before rolling his eyes. "I think you can do without." For that, Harry was shoved to the ground while Dudley looked in through the keyhole. Harry huffed as he listened through the gap between the door and the frame.

"-here, Severus, we promised we would stamp it out the moment we-"

"Really, Petunia, you should know by now that magic cannot be stamped out. The boy is magic, simple as that, and he's going to be going to Hogwarts, and that is my final word on the subject."

"Your final word doesn't mean much, now does it? Especially since she didn't trust  _you_  enough to take care of her own boy," Petunia snipped at him.

"It means plenty when Dumbledore agrees."

The room seemed to go silent, and Harry pushed at Dudley. "Move over. I'm going back in."

"If anyone is going back in, it's going to be me," Dudley said loudly.

"Dudley,  _move._  This isn't your life they're talking about-"

"Well I wanna hear it!"

"Dudley-"

"Freak!"

Just like that, Harry stopped. He stopped moving, and he felt his heart drop all the way down to his feet. Before he could dwell on it too long, the doors in the house opened at the same time as a loud swell of thunder. Looking into the kitchen, the adults were looking at the two of them. Vernon looked a bit faint, Petunia looked cross, but Severus… He looked  _interested._

"How interesting…" Severus looked back to Vernon and Petunia, he glared. "Nevertheless, he will be attending, no matter what muggles like yourselves have to say about the matter." Harry stared with wide eyes as Severus turned back to the hall, walking to the front door. "Come along, Harry." His eyes widened even further as he looked back at all the Dursleys. Really, it was no choice.

Turning around, Harry hurried to catch up with Severus until he was walking at the man's side. Looking up at him, Harry tugged on his own sleeve and looked back down at the ground. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do- Where were they going? Severus hadn't mentioned that bit. How was he going to get everything he would need for Hogwarts? Where would he put it all? Would it all stay with the Dursleys? How was he going to get on the train, come September? "I would believe," Severus said, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. "That you would be bursting with questions to ask. Am I wrong?"

Harry rubbed at his arm and looked away. "No, sir."

"Well, then." Severus glanced back down at him. "You may ask any questions you may have, one at a time, though I cannot guarantee I will answer each of them."

Harry stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Where are we going," he asked first.

He thought he saw the corner of Severus' lips twitch as he answered, "We're going to be getting your school supplies, as I don't trust your relatives to do so on their own. We're going to a place called Diagon Alley, it's a street of wizards' shops, and we'll be able to find everything that you need for your first school year, including your funds."

"I, um…" Harry looked back up at him. "No offense, sir, but I don't have any money."

That, more than anything, seemed to  _amuse_  Severus. "No need to worry about that, we'll have the proper funds to get you everything you'll need. Our first stop will be Gringotts bank, a bank run by-"

"By goblins," Harry said with a small nod, blushing at seeing Severus look at him strangely. "Ah… I found a book - Hogwarts, A History? It taught me about Hogwarts, and mentioned the bank. There's a school fund, right? For students to get supplies? Will we be using any of that?"

"No, we won't be having to use the school fund. Tell me, you know what inheritance means, yes?"

Harry stared up at him and nodded. "Yes, sir. It's when someone passes off and leaves people things in their wills. But what has that got to do with any of this?"

"Your parents have left you with an inheritance, as well. Anything that did not go to any relatives or friends they had goes to you."

He processed this for a moment, slowly nodding. "Anything that didn't go to my relatives… So the Dursleys have it all, then?"

"No," Severus said with a shake of his head. "Your parents used Gringotts just as most do in the Wizarding World. We'll be going there to retrieve your funds." Harry was starting to get dizzy. He had funds? He really was magic? This was so different from his life just a week ago, he wasn't really sure what to do with himself. "Come on, then."

Harry was left to follow Severus as the man turned down an empty alley. "Um… Mr. Severus? How are we going to get to the Wizarding World?" He frowned and looked around the alley. This didn't seem very magical.

"I'm going to be Apparating you. Hold onto my arm. You may feel a jerk from your navel."

"A jerk?" Harry frowned, grabbing onto the man's arm. "Wait, what's Appar-"

Harry felt a jerk from his navel, quite suddenly, and they were no longer in Little Whinging.


	6. Starlight Waltz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rare note, if you've been following this story from the beginning, you may want to take a hop back to the previous chapters. I've decided this is going to be one of those fics where each chapter has a song to accompany it. Now, of course, you don't have to listen to the songs, but I like to believe that they enhance the story I'm trying to tell, so I would rather appreciate it if you gave it a whirl.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zm91n76dfA

As soon as Harry felt his feet touch solid ground, he bent over, clutching his stomach. He wasn't sure what the bloody hell just happened, but he could tell now he certainly wasn't a fan of it. Beside him, he heard Severus chuckle softly. "Please tell me if you believe you're going to be sick so I can properly prepare."

Harry shook his head before straightening up. "I'm not going to be sick," he said softly. When he finally decided that he believed his own words, Harry decided to look up. "Oh my…" Around him looked to be more magic than he could have ever imagined. There were books floating around different people, people were gathered in small groups to talk about different spells, and all their  _clothes_  were different. They were wearing things Harry knew the Dursleys would often mock. They wore long pointy hats, and robes that draped down to touch the ground, and then some. Oh, sure, some of them had regular looking clothes on, but they seemed to be the odd ones. Children that looked to be his age with parents that looked just as unsure. Wands flicked all around, sparks of all different colors flew all around, and Harry startled as a broom beside them began to sweep all by itself. "Magic is real." Harry looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's real."

Severus looked down at him with amusement, and something else. Something that Harry couldn't quite name, yet. "Indeed it is. I must say, I had a rather similar reaction, my first trip to Diagon Alley." Severus nodded and guided Harry along. "I believe you have your supply list?"

"Oh, um…" Patting down his pockets, the boy frowned. "No, actually," Harry said with a small shrug. "I didn't have time to grab it."

Severus gave another nod and reached into his robes, pulling out a paper. "Fortunately enough, I thought this may happen, and so I brought one, myself." He handed it over to Harry.

Harry paused at the feel of the paper. It felt like the book that he had at Privet Drive, but not like real paper. "What is this?"

"Parchment," Severus answered, the corner of his lips twitching. "We'll be picking up plenty of scrolls for you for the year, later. However, the first stop we will be making will be Gringotts Wizarding Bank. I will be there on business, and you will be gaining access to your funds."

"My funds… You mean money? I don't have any money, though, Mr. Severus." Harry looked up at him with a frown.

"Simply Professor will do. And your parents, from what I hear, did leave you a sizable fortune." Interestingly enough, when Severus mentioned Harry's parents, his face seemed to curl, like he'd smelled something rotten. Just as a test, the boy sniffed the air. Nothing smelled overly revolting. Maybe they'd already passed it, by then.

Harry's frown only deepened as he continued to walk alongside Severus. "But… The Dursleys said that my father was a layabout dead beat and that there wasn't a pound to our name."

That had Severus smirking. "No, your parents wouldn't have had any pounds. Now, do try not to stare as we enter Gringotts." Severus pushed the door open and held it for Harry as the boy entered. Harry couldn't help but to stare. Not at any of the people, but at the bank itself. The ceiling must have been a hundred feet tall, and there were chandeliers hanging down from it. When he turned his attention to the tellers, Harry was only mildly shocked to realize that they weren't people at all. Instead, Harry was finding himself face-to-face with goblins. Of course he'd heard of them in  _Hogwarts, A History_ , but he had still found it difficult to imagine them, at the time. Now, he didn't find it to be difficult at all.

Severus led them forward to the counter, and the two waited in line behind a graceful, elegant woman with blonde hair. Severus seemed to recognize her and began speaking with her, but Harry tuned them out, instead favoring to look around. It was just...amazing. That was what it was. He was standing in a wizarding bank in a wizarding shopping district with wizard shops run by wizards made for wizards. To say he was excited would be an understatement. His whole life, it felt, he'd been trying to look for a way out of Number Four Privet Drive. And then it just decided to come in through the front door and whisk him away. Harry just couldn't believe his luck.

"Harry," he heard Severus say and Harry snapped to attention. "We're going to be going to your vault first, and then we're going to be going to another vault where I've something to pick up for business."

Harry gave him a nod. "Yes, sir," he said simply, following after him as a goblin led them through the big giant doors behind the desk. He looked to be a bit younger than the other goblins that were there. His hair was black, whereas most of the other goblins had white hair. At least he was rather polite about it all. What Harry wasn't expecting was for them to be climbing inside a cart that looked like it was attached to a roller coaster like the ones Harry saw when they drove past the amusement park.

Severus gave a bit of a funny look right before they took off. "Hold on tightly." Without another word, they were off and Harry found himself heeding the advice, gripping the cart until his knuckles turned white. They went over and under until they came to an abrupt stop.

"Woah." Harry simply stopped all function, staring into the blackness in front of him. He had never been on a roller coaster before, but he had a feeling it would have been a lot like that just now had been.

"Indeed," Severus seemed to huff and Harry looked over before scrambling after him. "This is your vault, Harry."

Harry watched the goblin unlock the door and stepped inside when it was open. With wide eyes, he turned back to Severus. "Sir, there must be a mistake-"

"No mistake. This is what your parents have left behind for you." Severus took a small pouch out of his robes and handed it to Harry. "Fill this up and that should be enough for this year. We want to at least make your small-fortune last all your seven years of Hogwarts."

Harry bit at his lip and nodded, bending down to pick up the coins before frowning and looking back. "But, sir… This doesn't look like any money I've seen, before."

Severus nodded and stepped inside. "Living in the muggle world, you wouldn't have seen money like this, before. This is the wizarding currency that you see before you. In order, the bronze are knuts. There are twenty-nine knuts to a sickle, the silver ones. And finally, the gold are galleons. There are seventeen sickles that go into a galleon."

Harry slowly nodded. "Like how there's a hundred pence to a pound?" Severus nodded and Harry stuck his tongue out before grabbing small handfuls of each coin, trying to spread it evenly. Though it sounded like the galleons were worth a lot more. Filling the pouch, Harry nodded and held it out to Severus. "Where's the other vault?" As he asked, Harry peeked his head out the door and looked around. He certainly wasn't seeing any doors. Severus took the pouch from him and touched a hand to his back, gently guiding him back to the cart. Harry jumped at the touch, though allowed Severus to lead him out.

"We'll get there momentarily." And again, they were off, and this time Harry found it to be a bit more fun. When they stopped, he was disappointed, but he climbed out immediately after Severus and peered around him curiously. The goblin stroked the door with his claw-like fingernail, and Harry watched what looked like hundreds of mechanisms begin to unlock. With a grand gesture, the door was swinging open to reveal a little package, as big as Harry's fist, maybe, wrapped in brown paper. Severus walked forward and retrieved the parcel before nodding. "When you arrive at Hogwarts, do be careful who you mention this to."

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir." 'Be careful' who it was mentioned to… But then that meant he could tell someone, if he thought it was important. The two clambered back into the cart, and they were going back the direction they'd came until they reached the top, once again. As they left the bank, Harry couldn't help but to shake his head. That had been bloody brilliant. And that seemed to just be the tip of the iceberg, if that was just the  _bank!_  Just as they reached the doors, Harry bumped into someone and grunted. "Sorry-"

"M- M- My apologies," a man stuttered out. "Ah, S- Severus! How p- p- pleasant to see you." This man was certainly one of the stranger wizards. He looked to be tan, as though he'd been out in the sun a lot. He also wore a purple turban round his head that you would seem hard-pressed to get off of him.

"Quirinus," Severus said, raising an eyebrow at the man. "What are you doing here, then?"

"P- P- Preparing for the new school year. You kn- know how it is." The man's attention turned to Harry, and the boy got the great urge to hide behind Severus. "So you must be Harry P- P- Potter." Something didn't feel right about this man. There was something in the air, something that lingered… Harry didn't have the words to describe it, the only one coming to mind was  _dark._

Severus nodded on his behalf, moving ever so slightly to stand in front of Harry. Why would he do something like that? "This is Professor Quirinus Quirrell, he will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Not that you need it, eh, P- P- Potter?" Harry frowned, giving him a strange look. What was  _that_  supposed to mean?

"Well, Quirinus, we really must be going, we also need to be preparing for the new school year. Good day." With that, Severus was leaving, Harry quickly following after him and getting away from the man. As they left, Harry felt the air around him get lighter, and he was able to breathe a bit more easily. Strange. Maybe it was just a part of magic that he wasn't used to, yet?

He waited a long moment before glancing at Severus, holding onto his sleeve tightly. "What did he mean, not that I'd need it?"

Severus looked down at him, though he didn't answer. "Here is not the place to talk about it."

"But-"

"We will discuss it later. For now, however, we must be getting you a wand." It certainly wasn't the answers that Harry wanted, but he supposed he couldn't let himself get too upset. He was used to adults not answering his questions, after all. He'd just have to find out what Professor Quirrell had meant on his own..

"I get my own wand," he asked with glee.

This seemed to make Severus smile. "If you are to be attending Hogwarts, you'll need a wand of your own."

Severus took him to a building that didn't have much glamour or allure on the outside.  _Ollivander's._  They stepped inside and Harry gasped. This was what he always thought magic was supposed to look like. Old cluttered books and wands strewn about everywhere with no care to order or organization. It was mystical. It was fantastic. It was… "Amazing."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," an old man said, appearing from nowhere. "Not many look upon my shop with such eyes as you. Eyes like your mother."

"I, ah…" Harry glanced back at Severus before nodding at the man. "Thank you. Are you-"

The man's eyes were bright with what looked like a sparkle as he walked over to greet them. His hair stuck out even more so than Harry's, and was white, proclaiming the man's old age as well. "Garrick Ollivander, a pleasure. And Severus. I do believe yours was oak, fourteen inches even, with a phoenix feather core. I believe it's been holding up well?"

Severus held up his wand and nodded. "Indeed. Though we're not here for me. It appears we'll be needing a new wand, today."

Ollivander beamed. "Of course, of course! Let's see what we have here for you, Mr. Potter."

Ollivander handed Harry a wand and the wand felt far too heavy in his hand. He hadn't even so much as twitched before it was being snatched away and a new one replaced it, this one too gnarled at the end to properly grip. Harry was given wand after wand until finally there was one that seemed to fit into his hand just right. He slowly smiled, looking back at Severus. He hadn't even flicked it or sent anything flying, but something in him just knew that this was the one. "Curious, that this should be the wand to choose you." Ollivander was now kneeling in front of him, as though he were a small child. "The phoenix that gave its feathers for our wand-making gave only two feathers. It so happens that the brother to this wand - that is, the wand that holds the other feather - is the one that gave you that scar."

Severus was now standing in front of him, causing Harry to startled back and grip his wand tightly. "I believe that to be enough. How much?" They two talked and Severus paid him for the wand before he was hurrying Harry out of the store.

"But- But what did he mean?" Harry frowned up at Severus. "I got my scar in a car accident. Didn't I?" As he spoke, Harry gingerly touched fingertips to his forehead where he knew his scar lay. He no longer needed to look in the mirror to trace it as he had done for years, now. Whenever he tried to remember the car accident, he remembered a bright green light, and...maybe a voice? But then, that would have been the stoplight, and his parents. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

Silent for a few moments, Severus finally shook his head. "As I said before, I will elaborate more on this when we are not in so public an area. Now, you will be needing a uniform for the school year. Let's go get you fitted, shall we?"

Harry followed Severus to a building that had mannequins in the front window. The sign read 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.' Severus brought Harry inside and a woman poked her head in from a back room. "Hogwarts? I've got another one back here." Ushered to the back room, Harry watched the woman he assumed to be Madam Malkin smile. "Severus. Do you need a fitting as well?"

"No, thank you, I find my robes to be fitting me quite well, as of late."

"Uncle Sev!" As Harry was nudged up onto the stool, he looked at the blond boy on the stool beside him whom had cried out. The boy was beaming up at Severus, silver eyes seeming to twinkle. "What are you doing here?"

Harry watched Severus spare the boy one of his - what seemed to be rare - smiles. "Draco. I'm only here on Hogwarts business, nothing more."

As though just now noticing him, the boy - Draco - looked over at Harry and tilted his head. "'Lo there. Draco Malfoy. And you are?"

Harry glanced to Severus for guidance, but the man was only blank, watching the exchange. "'M Harry Potter." This boy didn't seem all that bad. His hair was so blond it was almost white, and his skin was like porcelain, so

Draco's eyes widened as he stared at him. "Bloody hell." Harry shrank back a bit, only to get stuck with a pin for his troubles.

Severus cleared his throat, apparently disapproving of the reaction. "Draco, where is your mother?"

Draco stared at Harry another moment before looking back to Severus. "Buying me books." Severus nodded and seemed to think that was good enough, leaving. On the inside, Harry began to panic. He was just going to leave him alone, here? Did he think that Harry didn't need him, anymore. "Bloody hell… Harry Potter… You've probably known for years then, what house you're going to be in."

Harry slowly looked at him and frowned. "House? What house?"

Draco looked rather put off by this, his head tilting a bit and his nose wrinkling. "Your house at Hogwarts? I of course am going to be in Slytherin, just like my mother and father. Of course we won't know for sure until we get there, but I have faith. Don't you know which one you'll be in?"

Harry thought back to his  _Hogwarts, A History_  book. He'd read about all the houses, and he tried to recall everything he'd read. Gryffindor? Those were the ones that were brave, and courageous, and heroic. They always rushed into fights without thinking first. Not bloody likely. Hufflepuff? They liked hard work, they were good at finding things, and they were loyal. Harry didn't mind hard work, but some days it felt like he'd misplaced his own head and couldn't find it. Not to mention he had no one to be loyal to. Ravenclaw? They were always looking for new things to learn, and liked asking questions. That… That didn't sound so bad, actually. Slytherin… That was the one that was mentioned the least, in his book. They were cunning, resourceful, and ambitious. So they were clever, they used what they had to their advantage, and they worked for what they wanted. That didn't sound so bad, either. "I don't know," he said slowly. "Knowing my luck, I won't be sorted and they'll say it was all a big misunderstanding."

"But you're  _Harry Potter!_ " Draco's mouth was hanging wide open. "Of course you're going to be sorted!"

Harry frowned at him. "What's so special about being 'Harry Potter,' anyway?" He shifted where he stood as best as he was able, but it didn't seem to work very well, as he was getting nowhere fast.

Draco didn't answer for a moment, only staring at Harry in shock. "I… Well…" There was a moment's silence before he changed the subject. "Well, Slytherin is the best house, either way. You know Merlin himself was a Slytherin?"

Looking over at him, Harry nodded. Merlin was a name that he'd heard before he even knew about Hogwarts, but all he really knew was the name before he found his book. "I think I've heard that, yeah. Why do you think that you're going to be Slytherin, then?"

"Well- Well… Well because I am! I'm cunning and ambitious, and mother and father were Slytherins!" He looked rather childish and stubborn, as though he was used to getting his way. Maybe this boy would have gotten on well with Dudley.

"...I don't know what my parents were." Draco's face fell and he looked down at his own robes.

"Sorry." The blond was no longer so prideful and overbearing, and instead looked...a lot like Harry. Maybe he  _wasn't_  like Dudley, that much, then.

"It's okay." It was okay, that Draco didn't know. Most people didn't.

Before he could say anything else, Madam Malkin was patting him on the shoulder and giving a warm, kindly smile. "That's you all done, dear."

"Oh. Alright." Harry stepped off the stool and began to leave before he stopped and turned back to Draco. "What house do you think I would be?"

Draco seemed startled, but he looked up at Harry. Looking him over, the blond finally nodded and smiled. "I don't know. But I hope you're in Slytherin, too. I'll see you on the train."

Harry gave a nod, unsure of what to say. "Bye." Just as Harry walked out into the front room, he saw a deep black robe, far too tall for him to wear. But he wasn't thinking about wearing it. He was looking at the silver butterfly that had been designed on the back of the robe. When his eyes set upon it, it seemed to gleam and glisten, glittering in the sunlight It seemed out of place, as though put there by something more extraordinary than magic. Shaking the thoughts off, Harry stepped outside and Severus was waiting there for him, a stack of books floating beside him as he spoke with the woman from the bank earlier. Harry glanced at the sky and frowned. It wasn't sunny, at all. It was completely cloudy.

"I have to be getting Draco," the woman said with a smile. "He said he wanted to come with me to the Apothecary. I think he's got more of a head for Potions than you did at his age," she told Severus teasingly.

Severus gave a nod. "I'm expecting much from him, this year." Severus looked down to Harry. "I've gotten you your books, already. Will you be wanting a pet, then?"

Harry's eyes widened impossibly. "A pet?" He hadn't ever thought of a pet- What on Earth could Severus mean, would he be wanting a pet?

He received a raised eyebrow as response. "Didn't you read your letter? Hogwarts students are allowed a rat, a cat, or an owl."

"I get to have a pet? But- But the Dursleys-"

"Will not have a word to say so long as you take responsibility for whatever you decide on." Harry slowly nodded.

While Severus said goodbye to the woman - Draco's mother? - Harry looked through the books he'd bought. "These are all brand new," he said with a frown.

Severus turned towards him. "Of course. Why wouldn't they be?" He had a strange sort of look on his face. He was frowning, but his eyes looked to be kind. Harry knew there was a word for that look. He just couldn't remember the word, right now.

"The used ones are cheaper, aren't they?" Harry picked up one of the books and looked through it. Just like in his  _Hogwarts, A History_  book, all of the pictures moved. Yet more proof that Hogwarts was real. It was all real and he really was magic.

"Perhaps, but do you believe you deserve the used ones?" That had Harry opening his mouth before closing it. He...hadn't ever thought about it like that. "Come along, then. We've still got things to do." Harry followed along after him as the man took him towards the pet shop. "I will only allow you to choose a creature if you can assume responsibility for it."

Harry thought about how wonderful it would be to have a pet and he nodded quickly. "Very well. Come along, then." For as long as he could remember, Harry had always dreamed of having a pet. He thought that about having perhaps a dog, big and fierce to scare off Dudley and his crew, but then he also thought how nice a cat might be to curl up with when he was reading. The two entered the shop and once again, Harry was starstruck. There were animals everywhere! There were mice in a little cage, it looked like there were Jack Russell terriers, though obviously magical ones. There were owls occasionally flapping about, toads that croaked, and snakes that hissed. But what really caught Harry's attention was in the center of all this chaos was a white kitten sitting oh so delicately and looking so very precious.

 _They were around him and he loved them and he loved this one too even if he was a little mean and he wanted to hug him close like they did-_  He immediately walked towards her and cooed. "Hello, sweetheart." He held his hand out to her and the little kitten sniffed him before pressing her head into his hand.

"Yeah, a real sweetheart, that one," said a man. Harry looked up and saw that he must have worked here. "That one's a doll." The man was grinning at them widely, so wide it looked as though his face may split. Harry supposed if he got to work in a shop of magical creature, he'd be pleased about it, too.

Severus nodded and dug in his robes for a pouch that didn't seem to be Harry's coin pouch. "How much," he asked simply.

"For you? Just forty galleons," the man said, raising a hand. Harry could just barely make out scratch marks on the man's arm. "I insist." Forty seemed to be a bit much, and he certainly didn't remember grabbing forty gold coins. His smile turning downwards a bit, he pet the kitten gently. He supposed he really didn't need a pet all that bed.

"Very well." Severus counted it all out and handed over the money easily enough. Watching as the man behind the counter counted through the money, Harry was speechless as Severus turned to him and gave him a nod. Harry beamed and picked up the kitten, holding her close, cooing softly. He was going to take great care of her, no doubt. He'd make sure she ate every day, and clean out her litter box, and- "You'll need to name her."

Stalling his inner train of thought, Harry looked into her golden eyes and thought for a moment before smiling up at Severus as he held his new, first friend close to his chest. "Athena."


	7. Heartache

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, and happy holidays. As a present, I'll give you all the next chapter. A bit short, but I hope you enjoy all the same.
> 
> youtube com/watch?v=MsGh11DkQYw

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the two were back on Privet Drive, and Severus was escorting Harry back to Number Four. The man had gotten Harry a trunk, making it much easier to carry most of his things. Athena was wound around his shoulders and laying down, looking quite content. Harry looked back up at Severus. "Sir? Will you tell me now why it's so important that I'm Harry Potter?"

Severus seemed to stare right through him before sighing and kneeling down. "I suppose it better that you know before you go to Hogwarts. Firstly, what did your relatives tell you about your parents?"

Harry shrugged. "My aunt's sister - my mum - she was a freak, and my dad was a layabout deadbeat with no job. They were driving, and died in a car crash, and that's how I got my scar. And then they told me not to ask questions," he said bitterly.

With a sigh, everything about Severus seemed to...droop. "I see. I'm certain you've realized by now that that is not what happened?" Without waiting for Harry to answer, Severus nodded. "When you were an infant, there was a dark wizard by the name of Voldemort." The man paused, and it seemed as though he were trying to think through what to say very carefully. "Voldemort was not at all a good wizard, you should know right now. He found out something, and because of that, he decided at the drop of a hat to go to Godric's Hollow, where your family was living at the time, and kill the Potters. He succeeded with your father, then your mother. He tried to kill you, as well."

Harry's eyes were wide and he touched his scar lightly. "Really? But then- Why didn't it work?"

Severus regarded Harry for a moment. "No one truly knows for sure. He tried, he cast a curse, but it backfired and was reflected back at him. That is where you got your scar, and why it is so important to be Harry Potter. You see, that curse didn't work on you, but people believe that it reflected and killed Voldemort. By this time, Voldemort had already killed many a person, and many people were scared of him. So when people heard that you had defeated him, they claimed you were the Savior of the Wizarding World."

Harry stood speechless for a moment. He wasn't sure what there was to say to something like that. "But I'm...just Harry. I'm not a Savior."

Severus gave him one of those small smiles. "While I agree that you are not a Savior, and merely just a product of circumstance, I do believe that you are far more than just Harry."

Trying to digest all of this, Harry pet Athena, the kitten rubbing her head against his cheek softly. Looking back at his things, Harry sighed. "I don't know how all of this is going to fit into my cupboard." His eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "Er- my room. I don't know how it'll fit in my room."

A dark look seemed to flash in Severus' eyes as he rose to standing. "Your cupboard."

Harry winced, and he quickly shook his head. "No- That's not what I-"

"We ought to be getting you home, yes?" Severus was having none of Harry's excuses, and he couldn't tell if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. Instead, he glanced to Athena as Severus continued on, and he hurried to catch up with the man. As Severus knocked at the door of Number Four, Harry stood behind him, staring down at the ground.

The door opened cautiously, and Harry glanced up, catching the gaze of his beady-eyed aunt. "Ah. You're back."

Severus gave a nod. "Indeed, and all of his school supplies for Hogwarts have been retrieved."

Even looking down, Harry could feel his aunt's glare. "What is that  _thing?_ "

"Petunia, really now, I would expect that this late in life, you would be able to know something as basic as what a feline is."

The glare seemed to shift off of him, and Harry looked up to see her glaring at Severus, instead. "Really, Severus, I know what a cat is. What I want to know is why he has one, and why you let him believe I would allow him to keep it."

Harry felt a light touch to his back and startled, looking up to see that Severus had a hand on his back. "Seeing as it is Harry's eleventh birthday, I decided that a present was in order. Of course, this is from all the staff at Hogwarts. And he'll be allowed to keep her because not only has he accepted full responsibility for her, but he will also be taking her with him, when he leaves for Hogwarts on the first of September." Severus stepped inside without any sort of polite pretense, this time. "Now, he did mention a few worries of whether or not his trunk would fit in his bedroom."

Petunia shot Harry a fierce scowl, and Harry found himself trying to hide behind Snape as best he could. "Well, we really don't have much of a choice in the matter, the house was never meant for two boys-"

"I see," he said with a nod. "Well, if you can show me to his bedroom, surely I can shrink the trunk until it fits, and he will then be able to have someone unshrink it, on the train ride there."

Petunia was glaring at him so much, Harry thought that if she were magical, he'd be a pile of ash where he stood. She gave him a nod as well, gesturing to the stairs. "Fine. Harry, why don't you show him to your bedroom?" She wasn't looking at Harry as she spoke, only narrowing her eyes at Severus. "His is next to his cousins'." Harry shot her a strange look and she glanced down at him before looking back to the stairs.

"Uh… Right." Harry gave a slight shake of his head as he led Severus up to Dudley's second bedroom. Harry opened the door and peered inside. And there it all was. Dudley's broken second television, Dudley's old racing bike, his old computer, even the books he never read, yet still refused to let Harry read. And there... _was_  a bed, and a dresser in it, so it at least looked like a bedroom. "Right," he said, looking around the room in a bit of confusion. "This is...my room."

Severus was looking down at Harry. He didn't seem very believing. Severus sighed and knelt down to Harry again. "Right, then. Harry, are you telling the truth?" It occurred to Harry that Severus knew what he was doing. He was acting like he knew exactly what to do with a child, and that was because he did. And everything he was doing was working.

Harry looked across the hall and made sure that his Aunt Petunia wasn't lurking before he sighed. "No."

Severus nodded, having been expecting that. "Do you want to show me where your bedroom really is?" Harry gave a shake of his head. If he did that… Who  _knew_  how the Dursleys would punish him. "I'd like it if you showed it to me, anyway." Harry looked up at him. The Dursleys would probably keep food from him for a month, lock him in day and night… But Severus could take it all back and not allow him to Hogwarts, after all. Harry nodded and walked back downstairs.

Harry walked to the cupboard under the stairs where he'd lived for the past ten years of his life, and he leaned back against the wall directly across from it, only staring at the door. Severus was behind him, a bit slower. He came to the cupboard and looked to Harry. Harry only gave a nod. Severus whipped out his wand and muttered something quietly, and Harry heard the sound of the door unlocking. Severus opened it and the two of them stood there in silence as he stared into the cupboard. Just under Severus' arm, Harry could see his little butterfly figurine glinting on the shelf. "I see," he finally said. "Harry, if you could retire to your new bedroom. I'm going to need to speak with your Aunt and Uncle privately."

Harry gave a nod and was halfway up the stairs before he looked back to Severus helplessly. "I- I really want to go to Hogwarts." Severus looked up at him and nodded.

"You'll go if I have anything to say about it. I'll expect bi-weekly letters, and an immediate letter if anything happens." Harry tugged at his sleeve before nodding, returning to Dudley's second bedroom. Just as he closed the door, he heard the sitting room door slam shut. Harry winced and collapsed onto the bed, Athena already curling up to him and purring softly.

Only a moment later was the door being flung open, and who was standing there but Dudley, looking to be taking after his father in that moment. "What are you doing in my room?!"

Harry looked up at Dudley and narrowed his eyes. "Your mum said that this was my room."

Dudley sneered. "No she didn't! She wouldn't give my room to a freak like you!" That word again. That was the word that Petunia had called Harry's mother. He felt something hot begin to coil in his stomach as Harry sat up. Before he could begin to retort, Dudley was running downstairs. "Mum! Mum!"

Taking in a deep breath, Harry calmed down and stroked Athena's back. In just a month, he would be on a train to Hogwarts, and he wouldn't have to worry about them for an entire  _school year._  Harry honestly couldn't wait.

It seemed like hours before Harry heard his name called. Petting Athena one last time, he rose and straightened his clothes out before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. His Aunt Petunia was standing in the sitting room, Vernon sitting down in his easy chair. Severus was nowhere in sight, and neither of them looked very pleased. "You are to move anything that you may have in your cupboard to your new room upstairs. Any and all of your 'school supplies,'" she said, spitting out the words. "Will be kept in your cupboard during the summer. Vernon is allergic to cats as well, so your little  _pet_  will be staying solely in your room, and you will be bringing it with you to school. Have I made myself clear?"

"As mud," Harry said with a huff, turning around and leaving.

"I don't care for your cheek! If we so chose, you would be out on your rear end in seconds! Be grateful you have a roof over your head!"

As Harry opened up his cupboard and gathered his few things, he rolled his eyes. "I'd rather die." Harry held his  _Hogwarts. A History_  book close to his chest, balancing his butterfly figurine on it, as well as a couple other figures he'd snagged over the years.

"So that was how you knew about it." Harry startled and looked up to see his aunt standing there. Her eyes were narrowed at the book in his arms. "You lied."

Harry frowned and stood up straight. "No I didn't. I told you it was a history book."

"You were reading about  _magic_ ," she hissed.

"I wasn't learning magic," Harry responded, hugging his book tightly. "I was reading about my parent's school."

For a moment, Harry thought that Petunia may have done something as she began to step forward. Harry stepped back and his aunt seemed to take a moment to take a breathe. "Up to your room. Now. You are not to come out until dinner."

Harry stared at her. "I still get dinner?"

" _Go,_ " she said more forcefully. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He made sure he had a tight hold on everything and brought it all up to his new bedroom. Only once he'd set his  _Hogwarts, A History_  book on the shelf was the door opening again. This time, it was Vernon entering the room and looking none too pleased to be there.

"That bloody beast is to remain in this room at all times," he said with a near snarl before he was picking up the broken telly and carrying it out of the room. Harry kept a tight hold on Athena to make sure she didn't try to follow after him.

He frowned, "Aunt Petunia already told me that."

"Yes," Vernon said, huffing and puffing as he next came in for the mountain bike. "And I'm making sure that it sticks." As he came in and out, Harry couldn't help but to feel a little smug as the man kept sneezing and overall looking poorly.

"Oh," Harry said in a conversational tone, keeping Athena tucked close. "And Severus said he wants bi-weekly check-ins."

This seemed to cause Vernon to freeze up before he nodded. "I'll be talking to Petunia about you, boy, don't you worry your head about that."

Harry held onto Athena. He didn't like the sound of that. Finally, Vernon came in and began to take his trunk downstairs. "Hey," Harry cried. "I've got things in there I need!"

"You won't be needing anything that's in here, I'll tell you that right now, boy."

Always boy. Never Harry. Never even Potter. It was always boy. The door slammed shut and Harry flinched at the sound. He took in a deep breath and reminded himself just one more month. Just one more month and he would be far away from them.

He just needed to hold out.


	8. It's Raining Somewhere Else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNd4apsr3WE
> 
> Sorry for the long wait, everyone! Here's the next chapter, and for those that read it (you really should) time twister should be getting an update soon, as well!
> 
> ::
> 
> Author's Note: There have been many complaints and valid concerns about Harry being so bad at his spelling and grammar at the start of Silver Butterfly. No more of these comments will be responded to as this note is to take care of all these questions at once! Essentially, while most children do get the vague gist of writing and spelling from reading, even Harry's reading skills are subpar where teachers have not given him any instruction and merely fail him before moving on to the next moduel. Harry is drastically behind and his spelling relies on sounding the word out in his head and, in some cases, copying down what he sees if he can make sense of it. Again, while spelling skills come from reading, Harry has a difficult time reading where no one ever took the time to make sure he understood it.

Dear Profeser Cevrus,

Is that how you spell yur name? Ive been moved up to the bedrom upstares. I dont need to hav any homework complete befour the start of term right? I cant get to any of my school supplies rite now so i hope not. Ive been cleening up after Athena and taking care of her just like I promisd. My main proplum is how am I going to get to the train station on the first? The Dursleys defenitley won’t drive me.

Harry

Harry looked over the letter and nodded. That looked good. And he called the man Professor! He thought that that meant lots of progress, seeing as he was constantly told, growing up, that he had no respect for adults and authority and that he would probably end up being a smarmy git.

He peeked into Vernon’s room and ‘borrowed’ an envelope and stamp, quickly writing out the addresses before sealing the envelope. He went downstairs and to the front door. Without so much as looking over his shoulder, he called out, “I’m going to the library for the afternoon,” and with that, he was slamming the door behind him as he stepped out into the sunlight. Taking a deep breath, Harry smiled and stood up a little straighter. Now that he knew there was more to this world, it felt as though there was magic just in the air itself. Everything seemed to shine brighter, it seemed to almost glow! Not to mention the way that every step seemed to bring a weight off his shoulders he hadn’t known was there. Harry hoped that his time at Hogwarts would be even better than what he was experiencing right now.

Harry stuck his letter into the post box and continued on his way. When he got to the library, Harry stood on his tiptoes and looked over the counter of the front desk. “Ms. Arman?”

Ms. Arman startled out of her work, looking down at Harry and smiling. “Hello, Harry. What can I help you with, today?”

“Don’t you have any magic books?” Harry frowned up at her. “Not the children’s books. The ones about spells. The nonfiction books. Aren’t there any here?”

She seemed to look him over before rising out of her chair. “We do have something, but I’m not sure that it’s what you need, dear.” She started walking, and Harry immediately started to follow after her. “We have books on the occult, books on pagan religions, and books on mythology. Maybe you’d like one of those?”

Harry only knew what one of those things was. He sighed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll read the mythology books, I suppose. Do you have any about Athena?”

Ms. Arman smiled as she led him over. “A wise choice,” she told him. “Why Athena?”

“I got a new cat recently and named her that. Athena is one of my favorites.”

The woman chuckled softly. “I certainly can’t fault you for that, I suppose. Well, all our books about mythology are going to be in this section, here. Feel free to read as many as you like, though I’m not sure you’ll understand very many of them,” she warned. “These books were made for adults to read them, not for children.”

Harry frowned at that, looking up at her. “I’m not a baby.”

“Of course,” she smiled at him peacefully. “I didn’t mean anything like that.”

Slowly, the boy nodded. “Alright. Are there any just about Athena?”

“Unfortunately, those are much more difficult to come across. Many of the gods and goddesses are a part of each other’s stories. Much like people, really.” Harry looked up at her and slowly nodded, smiling.

“Okay. Thank you, Ms. Arman.” Harry smiled at her and began to pick out books that looked and sounded interesting.

Later, Harry found himself walking back to Number Four with some newfound knowledge, as well as an eager plan. He entered the house just in time for dinner, and he sat down at the table, just like them. Like he was one of them. It had been two weeks since his trip to Diagon Alley and they had all ignored him. Things had almost gone back to the way they were, as though he wasn’t magic at all to begin with.

Without so much as a word to him, the Dursleys all simultaneously passed him their empty plates and stood, going about the rest of their evening without him in it. Dudley sat down in front of the telly and assumed his usual expression of dumb ape, Vernon went upstairs to his study, where he always made progress on work brought home, and Petunia sat down in her squishy rocking chair next to Dudley, picking up knitting needles and working on the sweater she’d been working on for the past three years.

Harry picked up the plates and took them to the sink, where he got out his usual stepping stool and began to wash them thoroughly. He was upset that he couldn’t grow a few more inches to reach the counter, but he knew his growth spurt would come any day now!

Once he finished the dishes, still wincing from the hot water, he peeked back into the living room. The telly had been left on, but Dudley and Petunia were missing. Harry narrowed his eyes as he drew two small things out of his pocket. One was a small screwdriver that he had managed to borrow from Vernon’s toolbox. Thankfully, judging by the amount of dust it had collected, Harry could safely assume that Vernon wouldn’t be looking for it anytime soon. The smaller piece was also the piece that was more difficult to come by. A small bobby pin, taken from his aunt’s bathroom when she was snooping on the neighbors on a particularly slow afternoon.

Before he proceeded with anything, he crept up the stairs slowly and first snuck over to Dudley’s room. He’d barely put his ear to the door before he heard his cousin’s loud snoring. Worries beginning to ease, he slithered over to his aunt and uncle’s door and held his breath as he listened. There was Vernon’s regular chainsaw snoring, but he had to lean closer to listen for- Yes! There was Petunia’s usual nose whistling! Everyone else was asleep! Harry had to stop himself from celebrating too early. He couldn’t allow himself to make such a big mistake.

He walked back downstairs and over to the cupboard - his old bedroom. Kneeling down, Harry took out the screwdriver and bobby pin and began to put his much-practiced skills to the test. Harry slowly began to pick the lock. It was so strange to do it from the outside instead of the inside, but they’d made sure to put a new look on the cupboard to ensure that Harry wouldn’t be getting in until it was time for the school year. Hearing a click, he grinned and put his tools away in his pocket, standing up. He opened the cupboard and unlocked his trunk, opening it up. He didn’t linger, grabbing the first book he saw and closing it back up immediately. He put the lock back on and made sure everything was back the way he found it before he headed back upstairs.

Once upstairs, Harry grabbed the flashlight he had taken with him from his little cupboard and flicked it on. The light flickered before remaining on a dull glow. He’d need to scrounge around for new batteries, then. Looking down at the book, Harry tilted his head. _Magical Theory._ Well what was that supposed to be? Flicking open the cupboard, Harry aimed the light down at the page. He supposed there was only one way to find out.

* * *

 

When Harry awoke, he found that there was a letter waiting for him under the crack in the door. Eagerly, he leapt up and snatched it, barely taking the time to observe that it came from Hogwarts Dungeons, Potion Master Office. He ripped off the seal - a green snake - and read it over as quickly as was possible.

Dear Mr. Potter,

While I am pleased to hear that your accommodations are being properly taken care of, I am still concerned whether or not this will be enough room for both yourself, and a cat. No, you need not have any homework completed, upon entry to Hogwarts, although in the years coming, you will, therefore I suggest you point this out to your relatives. You say that they will not accommodate transportation for your school year at Hogwarts, however I believe if you tell them that you will be staying at the castle over most holidays, you will find them becoming quite hospitable.

Have you been enrolled in a primary school, by chance? Call it simple curiosity.

Yours,

Professor Severus Snape

Harry frowned at that. Well that was strange. And he hadn’t expected such a quick response! Looking around for paper, he frowned. He was out. And he didn’t particularly feel like going through Vernon’s office to try to find some. Looking towards the bedroom door, Harry took a deep breath before he stood up and walked out of the room and downstairs. In the kitchen, he stood and waited for Vernon’s eyes to rake over the top of his paper. “Uncle Vernon,” Harry said softly as the man caught sight of him. Immediately, the dark eyes began to narrow. “I was hoping I could maybe use a piece of paper, or two?”

Vernon looked him over and seemed to huff. “And what do you need it for, then?”

Harry looked down at his shoes, rubbing at his arm. “I’m writing a letter to Professor Snape.”

“What does he teach, then,” he heard Petunia say from the stove. “Freakishness?”

The boy looked up to scowl over at her. “Potions.” First thing he was going to do, he was going to learn how to make a poison at this bloody school. Then he’d show them.

Vernon now had his paper directly in front of his face. “Fine, fine. Grab some off the printer, then.”

Harry beamed and nodded. “Thank you!” He quickly rushed to the printer that was waiting next to the computer and pulled out about ten sheets before hurrying back to his room. Harry looked over Severus’ letter carefully and nodded. With that, he began to write very slowly, continuously looking between his own paper, and the letter that Severus had sent.

~~Proffessor~~ Professor Severus,

Thanks. Ill keep that in mind. I was alraedy planing on staying at the cassle castle as much as possible. Ill take any thing to not stay with my r e l a t i v e s. And ya, I had claas at primary school. Why?

Harry

Harry looked his own letter and carefully matched it against Severus’ letter. Once he was satisfied, he snagged another envelope and stamp, stepping outside the front door to put it in the box for the postman. With that done, the boy hurried back upstairs to continue reading his magical theory book in peace. Well, as much peace as could be found, with the likes of Dudley lurking around. Thankfully, his little ‘magic’ revelation had seemed to make Dudley much more wary of him. Maybe he would learn a spell to batter Dudley with lots of punches and kicks. Just to repay him for primary school.

Harry reopened his book and settled down in his bed, Athena crawling into his lap and laying down only moments later. Harry smiled down at her and ran a hand over her spine. She really was a sweetheart. He didn’t know why that shopkeeper had acted so strangely to them when he sold her. “You were probably just too smart for him, huh,” he said softly, smile fading as he began to get lost in his book. There was so much to learn about magic, and he’d barely scratched the surface. He had a lot to catch up on.


End file.
